The Shattered Ring

In the service of the Conference of Worlds

Knowers

A quasi-religious organisation located on Turbine, the Knowers control the core ships located at the heart of each gas trawler.

Each of the tiny vessels around which the city-trawlers is located is an ancient relic of The First, discovered wandering apparently at random centuries ago. The colonisation of Turbine has only been possible due to these enigmatic vessels – each supports the incredible weight of the cities which have been built around them without apparent effort.

The Knowers are dedicated to the preservation of each core – access is restricted to only the highest ranks of the priesthood, and it may be years or decades before an initiate ever sets foot inside one of the vessels.

It is unclear how much control the Knowers exert over the ships – there are well documented instances of trawlers changing course to avoid hazards or moving to prime positions for extraction operations. At the same time sometimes the cities move through dangerous gas pockets or fail to avoid storms, with much subsequent loss of life and materiel. It’s unclear whether this is because they were genuinely unable to change course, or whether the Knowers decided not to act for reasons of their own.

Given the power at their command the Knowers have inevitable become as much a political as a religious force, and it is an unwise Helium Lord that risks their displeasure.